At the Star Trek presentation, an ebullient Fuller noted the “wonderful expression of diversity” in the show’s original cast those many decades ago and noted that the Star Trek franchise “is the reason why I became a writer.”

“We are absolutely continuing that tradition,” he said.

Casting has not yet happened, but he said a woman will be cast as the lead, and suggested the character may be racially diverse as well. He's also creating a gay character.

The 13-episode first season of Star Trek: Discovery debuts in January and is the “crown jewel” of the All Access programming slate, Marc DeBevoise, CBS Interactive president/COO, said. That slate includes spinoffs of The Good Wife and Big Brother, and a fourth series to be announced. Last month, CBS Corp. chairman, president and CEO Les Moonves revealed during the company's earnings call that CBS All Access and Showtime's OTT service have a combined 2 million subs.

Since Star Trek: Discovery will be on a digital platform, Fuller acknowledged some freedom from traditional network standards. When asked about sex in the new series, he quipped, “There’s a reason we call [it] STD.”